Rail-joint



(N Model.)

M. O. NILES.

RAIL JOINT No. 432,551. Patented July 22, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON O. NILES, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 432,551, dated July22, 1890. Application filed Scptemher 19, 1889- Serial No, 324,372. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON O. NILEs, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Oak Park,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Join ts, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rail-joints for uniting themeeting ends of rails, and has for its prime object to dispense with theemployment of bolts or other equivalent devices, and to utilize awedging action as the means for securing the joint to the rails.

Another object is to have the wedge of such a character that it maysubserve the double purpose of tightening and securing the joint to therail and of locking the same in its finally tightened position ,againstaccidental displacement.

These objects are attained by the devices illustrated in theaccompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofthe meeting ends of a pair of rails, showing a joint applied theretoembodying my inven tion; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section thereofon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top plan view thereof; Fig. 4, adetail perspective view of the binding-plate; Fig. 5, a similar view ofthe removable wedge-plate, and Fig. (5 a similar view of the wedge.

Similar letters of reference indicate. the same parts in the severalfigures of the draw Ings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the rail;13, a base-plate provided along one side edge thereof with an upturnedoverhanging flange 0, against and beneath which the flange D of the railprojects, the base-plate at its opposite side being also provided with alongitudinal angular portion E, terminating at the upper edge in anoverhanging shoulder F, the whole constituting in effect a hook. Betweenthis hook and the under side of thetop of the rail extends abinding-plate G, preferably of slightly-greater length than the baseplate, and provided with depending lugs 11 at each end thereof, lying ateach end of the hook, so as to prevent a longitudinal movement of theplatein either direction independent of the bedpiate. The lower edge ofthis binding-plate lies beneath the shoulder F of the hook onthe'base-plate, as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, and is held uptightly against the shoulder and the under side of the head of the railby means of a wedge I, driven in between said plate and the flange ofthe rail. wedge might be opposed by a corresponding incline form ed onthe under side of the clam ping-plate by a suitable thickening thereofat the part J about the center of width thereof; butthe opposing inclineis preferably provided upon a removable wedging-plate K, fitting into asocket in the thickened portion J, and provided at each end withprojecting lugs L, opposing the ends of the plate, so as to preventlongitudinal movement of the wedging-plate independent of thebindingplate.

The inclined face of the wedge I is preferably provided with alongitudinal rib M at the center of width thereof, and the wedgeplaie Kon its inclined face is provided with a corresponding longitudinalgroove N, into which the rib fits and works, so as to prevent theaccidental separation of the wedge and In practice this wedge-plate by alateral shifting of the wedge,

the \vedge-plate being prevented from shifting in turn by its seatwithin the socket of the binding-plate.

In practice the base-plate is first set in position, the binding-platethen adjusted, and the wedge-plate inserted in position, after which thewedge is driven in from one end thereof until the binding-plate bearstightly against the shoulder F and the under side of the head of therail, thereby causing the bedplate to bind with equal force against thebottom of the rails, and thus effect a most rigid joint between themeeting ends of the rails. After the wedge is driven tightly inposition, with its smaller end projecting beyond the binding-plate atthe opposite end, the end of 5 ened positions. Other means, however, maybe employed for locking this wedge in position obvious to one skilled inthe art, and which are not necessary to be herein illustrated so long asa suitable form of lock for the wedge is employed.

An important feature of my invention is the absence of all bolts andnuts, as a result of which not only is the efficiency of the jointmaterially promoted, but the cost thereof is materially reduced and thepracticability at the same time increased; besides which,the ilexure ofthe binding-plate or any of the other parts of the joint is not dependedon for the rigidity of the joint, and the bindingplate is supported andacted upon throughout the length thereof, so that with the parts ofsuitable thickness the joint is practically indestructible and withoutthe liability to wear of the old forms of joints, in which either theelasticity or spring of the metal or bolts and nuts were depended on forproducing the desired rigidity of the joint.

While the wedge-plate K is not absolutely essential to my invention, itsuse is preferred, because the binding-plate may then be made in straightlongitudinal lines and rolled in lengths instead of being forged, aswould otherwise be necessary if the incline for the wedge were formedthereon, and thus the expense of the joint is lessened by the employmentof this wedge-plate.

This joint is also as readily detachable from the rail as any of the oldforms of joints, for it is only necessary to bend down the ends of thewedge or release the other form of lock device employed in connectiontherewith, when the wedge may be withdrawn and the joint detached fromthe rail.

To prevent creeping of the joint upon the rails, the base-plate may beprovided at one side edge thereof with a notch (),in which a spike maybe driven when the joint rests upon a tie.

In conclusion, it will be understood that the socket formed in thethickened portion J on the under side of the binding-plate may have anydesired configuration, but is preferably coneaved, and the top of thewedge or wedgeplate correspondingly convcxed or rounded, so as to permitof the wedge adjusting itself to the variations in the angles of theflange upon different rails, and thus adapt the joint for attachment toany form of rail.

lIaving described my invention, what I elaim,and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1, In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rail, of a bed-plate, abinding-plate extending between and bearing against said rail andbase-plate, and a wedge fitting between the binding-plate and the flangeof the rail, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rail, of abase-plate, abinding-plate extending between and bearing against said rail andbase-plate, a wedge fittingbetween said binding-plate and the flangeofthe rail,and a lock device for said wedge, substantially as described.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rail, the base-plate, andthe binding-plate, of a wedge-plate socketed in the binding-plate, and awedge fitting between said Wedge'plate and the flange of the rail,substantially as described.

l. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rail and a base-plateprovided with a flange at one side edge, against which the flange of therail bears, and an overhanging hook along the opposite edge thereof, ofa binding-plate lying on the under side of and extending between saidhook and the rail-top, and a wedge fitting between said bindingplate andthe rail-flangc, substantially as described.

5. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rail, of a base-plateprovided with an upturned flange, against which the flange of the railbears, and an overhanging hook at the opposite side edge, and abinding-plate lying beneath and extending from. the hook to the underside of the top of the rail, said plate being provided with a socket onthe under side thereof, of a wedge-plate fitting within said socket,anda wedge fitting between said wedge-plate and the flange of the rail,sub stsntially as described.

(5. In a rail-joint, the combination, with a rail and a base-plateprovided with a flange at one side edge, against which the flange of therail bears, and an overhan gin ghook along the opposite edge thereof, ofa binding-plate lying on the under side of and extending between saidhook and the rail-top, and a wedge fitting between said binding-plateand the rail-flange, and a lock device for securing said wedge inposition, substantially as described.

7. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the base-plate provided withan upturned flange along one side edge, against which the flange of therail bears, and an overhanging hook along the opposite edge, abinding-plate lying beneath and extending from said hook to the underside of the rail-top, and lugs on each end of said plate opposing thebase-plate, said binding plate being provided with a socket on the underside thereof, of a wedgeplate fitting in said socket, provided with lugsopposing the ends of the binding-plate, a wedge fitting between saidwedge-plate and the flange of the rail, and a lock device for securingsaid wedge in position, substantially as described.

8. In a rail-joint, the combination,with the rail, of a base-plate, abinding-plate extending between and bearing against said rail andbase-plate, and means for causing said binding-plate to impinge againstsaid members, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

9. In a rail-joint, the combination, with the rail and a base-plateprovided with a flange tween the binding-plate and the rail for tightatone side edge thereof, against which the ening said binding-plateagainstthehook and flange of 'the rail bears, and an overhanging the rail-top,substantially as described. hook along the opposite edge thereof, of aMILTON C. NILES.

binding'plate lying on the under side of,bea1- WVitnesses: ing against,and extending between said hook R. O. OMOHUNDRO, and the rail-top, andmeans interposed be- \V. R. OMOHUNDRO.

